The communication system of an aircraft usually comprises various communication devices, systems and/or structures according to several transmission technologies (for example, VHF, HF, SATCOM, WIFI, Cellular) and according to several exchange protocols of the IP, AGARS or ATN type. The exchange protocol is determined by the communication system and possibly by the type of application.
The choice of a communication devices or system at a given time is made according to a predetermined criterion based, for example, on the cost of the communications, the quality of the transmission on the preference of the airline company. Once a communication system has been selected for each type of protocol (AGARS, ATN, IP), it is then used exclusively as long as it is available for transmitting the data steams. The exchange protocol used is determined by the communication device or system itself and possibly by the type of application. Thus, the transmission of a message or of a data stream can be more or less slow as a function of the selected routing strategy.
However, in certain cases, it can be advantageous to transmit the data to the ground as fast as possible. At present the only option is to select the communication device or system offering the highest data rate. This can however prove to be inadequate with the current communication system.
Consequently, a purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an aircraft communication system and method having an architecture which makes it possible to transmit data from the aircraft at maximum speed.